Still, there appears to be a great deal of ambiguity, even among consumers, about where the lines forÂ online privacy should be drawn. While 96% of respondents from this reportÂ value their individual privacy online, 61% would give up some privacy in exchange for better products and services. This comes at the same time as a study showing that only about half of American adults trust the internet – and that most consumers worldwide have rising fears about their online privacy.

Consumers feel equally ambivalent aboutÂ personalized ads. Even though 4 out of 5 hate ads and emails that are not relevant to them, 70% say that they find advertising that is customized to their tastes “creepy”.

As far as “creepy” practices, certain in-store retail personalization ones, such as facial recognition,Â are considered notably more disturbingÂ than others, as this separate study illustrates.

About the Data: This report is based on a survey of 2,116 US and UK consumers.